Let your creativity run wild!

. . . And let us worry about the little things.

Information about Sample Edits

Adirondack Editing requires a sample of your work for us to edit before we accept you as a client. Submitting a sample benefits you because you are able to see ahead of time the types of edits Adirondack Editing will make.

Because sample edits take valuable time and effort, we do not offer free samples.

What Is the Cost?

The charge is $35 for 3–5 pages (around 1,200 words at double-spaced and 12 pt. font) or an hour’s worth of work, whichever is greater.

If you subsequently hire Adirondack Editing, the $35 will be deducted from your total fee.

How Is It Done?

Email your sample in a clean Microsoft Word document as an attachment.

Please send five or more consecutive pages from the middle of your book. The middle is less polished and allows a more honest appraisal of your writing skills. If you wish to send more pages, that is fine. We will choose five pages to edit from within the document.

Your sample will be edited with Microsoft Word’s Track Changes feature and returned via email. When you submit your pages, you will be sent a PayPal invoice.

Some pages will be edited heavily, and some will be edited lightly so you can see the difference. Usually the returned material also has many comments inserted.

We will let you know which editing tier seems to provide the most benefit for your writing. By providing two levels of editing, you can clearly see the benefits of each level and can decide for yourself.

Typically, samples are handled by the owner, Susan Uttendorfsky. For customers requesting Tier 3 developmental editing, however, if Susan is not available, an editor who is available will perform the sample because you will be working closely with that editor for some time. We want to make sure you and the editor are compatible!

Please keep this in mind, though:

If we feel strongly your work needs a Tier 2 or 3 edit, providing a Tier 1 proofread would be like trying to “spin straw into gold.” You may end up with a grammatically correct MS that still has problems.

We’re not out to fleece you, and our rates are comparable to other editors who provide similar services. We want to assist you in creating the best possible book!

Testimonials

...she is a meticulous copyeditor/proofreader and she works fast. HM, New York

Susan edited my fantasy fiction novel ... she put extreme enthusiasm into the book ... she edited the [book’s] new language, including the list of the words, their meanings, and the plurals. LF, Colorado

It was refreshing to find an editor who felt like a partner, rather than a hired employee who wanted to get the novel finished and move on to the next project. KS, Iowa

For the money I spent, I got a solid manuscript and a better understanding of what I need to work on as a writer—not to mention all the tiny grammatical details to watch out for. KB, Estonia

As a former editor myself, I greatly appreciated her careful attention to detail, and her explanations (where needed) of changes or recommendations. I have no hesitation in recommending her work. HY, Canada